| 69. What is night
to all beings, therein the self controlled one is awake. Where all beings
are awake, that is the night of the sage who sees.To all beings the Supreme
Reality is night. Night is by nature tamasic, and, as such, causes confusion
of things The Reality is accessible only to a man of steady knowledge. Just
as what is day to others becomes night to nightwanderers, so, to all beings
who are ignorant and who correspond to the night wanderers, the Supreme
Reality is dark, is like night ; for it is not accessible to those whose
minds are not in It With reference to that Supreme Reality, the selfrestrained
Yogin who has subdued the senses, and who has shaken off the sleep of Avidya
(nescience), is fully awake. when all beings are said to be awake, i.e when
all beings, who in reality sleep in the night of ignorance, imbued with
the distinct notions of perceiver and things perceived, are as it were mere
dreamers in sleep at night; that state is night in the eye of the sage who
knows the Supreme Reality; for, it is nescience itself.Works are not meant
of the sage.Wherefore works are enjoined on the ignorant, not on the wise
Wisdom (Vidya) arising, nescience (Avidya) disappears as does the darkness
of the night at sunrise. Before the dawn of wisdom, nescience presents itself
in various formsas actions, means and results; is regarded as authoritative,
and becomes the source of all action. When it is regarded as of no authority,
it cannot induce action. |
